I think deciding the best of anything always comes down to personal taste, no-one can really prove which is the best no matter how un-biased the critic. Watching the 6 Star Wars films now I can say my tastes have definitely changed over the years. The younger me always preferred "Return of the Jedi" (Episode 6) losing my self in the exciting lightsaber battles, the final duel between good and evil, and the Ewoks (from a younger viewers point of view).

Now, older and wiser (maybe) and a film reviewer myself I watch these films in a slightly different way, story line and character depth, dialogue and set pieces, quality of acting, directing, all effect my personal choice of film rather than "I quite like the brightly coloured swords and the small fuzzy creatures". My firm favourite of the series is "The Empire Strikes Back" (Episode 5), to be honest I don't remember watching it much when I was younger but today, for me, it stands out above the rest.

The Empire Strikes Back is the movie that introduces new characters such as Yoda (Frank Oz), the Jedi master who begins Luke Skywalker's training, and Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) the previous owner of the Millennium Falcon and Han Solos long time friend. Even with the introduction of new characters to add to the already ample cast the characters in Empire still feel more developed. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) grows as a character in this film, especially when "the secret" is revealed, the scenes between Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) are even better in that they become more romantic and less comedic.

The film has some of the more memorable scenes out of the series, improved special effects aside. The Battle of Hoth creates the pace of the movie from the start, a stunning action packed sequence that captivates immediately. Other places also make this film interesting, Cloud City for one, introducing Lando with more twists in the story arc and the mysterious planet Dagobah, home to Yoda, where we learn more of the dark side of the force.

Although this film is the 'darker' of the episodes with our heroes struggling against a greater foe there is still hope, presented through a determination of the characters involved not to give up. Return of the Jedi is a film that secures this hope in such a way that all the main characters (and the new ones from Empire) pull their resources together against the Empire. A New Hope (Episode 4) reminds us that we all have a path to tread in life, Empire is the story of the decisions you make along that path with Return of the Jedi presenting us with the results of the chosen path. To me Empire presents a much more interesting story and doesn't always assume the 'good guys' will win but that they remain determined in defeat.

For the sake of a top 6 of the Star Wars series, please see below:

1) Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back
2) Episode 6: Return of the Jedi
3) Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith
4) Episode 4: A New Hope
5) Episode 2: Attack of the Clones
6) Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

Learn more about this author, James Hare.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Determining which of the six Star Wars movies is the best?
We want to hear your view. Write now!